While Sam Raimi’s original Evil Dead is probably the most influential movie in the franchise, its sequel/remake, Evil Dead 2, is certainly the most entertaining. The film’s a killer combination of horror and comedy anchored by a performance that defined Bruce Campbell’s career and with Raimi throwing every neat directorial trick he could into the movie. Just thinking about Ash battling his possessed hand in a ridiculous slapstick fight makes me smile.
Now, it sounds like Evil Dead 2 is getting the respect it deserves, as next month it’s going to be re-released on Blu-Ray looking better than it ever has before in a beautiful 4K Ultra HD presentation. While home releases of the film have never been bare bones, this version will feature behind the scenes documentaries about the movie and a new commentary track featuring Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell and The Walking Dead‘s VFX whiz and Executive Producer Greg Nicotero.
Here’s Studio Canal’s summary of the release:
“After the shocking and notorious cult classic THE EVIL DEAD impaled its way into the minds of a whole generation, visionary maverick director Sam Raimi decided to elaborate on its twisted scenario. Featuring B-movie legend Bruce Campbell in his most iconic role, EVIL DEAD 2 is a gore-fuelled, splatstick masterpiece that gleefully stomps on the entrails of good taste whilst puking in the face of Hollywood with no apologies.”
If you haven’t seen Evil Dead 2 yet, then this is the perfect opportunity to catch up with it. I’ve been singing this film’s praises ever since I first saw it back in the 90s on VHS, and while sometimes a gory B-movie sequel can be a bit of a hard sell to non-horror aficionados, everyone I’ve shown it to has loved it. Even if you don’t think it’s an incredible movie, you’ll at least come out of it with an appreciation for the physical comedy skills of Bruce Campbell (Sam Raimi has explained that torturing him on film is his secret passion).
The remastered release of Evil Dead 2 hits shelves in the UK on March 4th. No word on a US release yet, but it surely can’t be too far behind. As always, watch this space for more.
